Nightwatchman Service A Successful Venture

Chronicle (Levin), 5 November 1948, Page 4

Nightwatchman Service A Successful Venture

One of the most successful ventures in Levin recentiy has been the inauguration of a night-watch-man service by the Levin Business Protection Associatioii. The association came into existence as a result of the belief that the business cbnceTiis of. Levin needed . more • protection against the risk bf burglary . and fiye -than that ordinariiy provided by, the public authoritieS. The first general meeting. of theassociation was held- in the Red Cross Rooms this week, when the chairman, Mr. J> A. Chapman,.-pre-sided. After welcoming . i those present, Mr. Chapman reported bri. the activities .of the watchmah. The provisional committee, coiisisting of Messrs. J. Trout, J. Barrat, E. Wilcox, L. Allen and himself as chairman, in cooperation with Messrs. Moir and Campion, public accountams, had taken action and the result of their combined efforts had been 'very satisfactory in that at . the present time there were 73 subscribers to the association, he said. - Encouraged by this support, the committee had engaged a night-watchman, whose duties had commenced on August 16, working seven nights a week. "The fortnightly reports rendered by the nightwatchman. are most interesting and show the need" f or such a service/' said Mr. Chapman. "During the period of eight weeks, he found doors open on ten occasions, gates and small doors left unlocked on five and keys left in a door on one." The committee desired the fullest co-operation from subscrlbers and hoped that others who at present did not see the value of ihe service woidd co-operate, thus making it po'ssible to reduce the cost of the work, concluded Mr. Chapman. The election of officers resulted in the provisional committee being re-elected with the addition of Mr. N. Thornley. Levin was going ahead in such a way that the association could be called the Levin Businessmen's Association, - said Mr. Thornley during general discussion. He ; suggested that such a move could : help in many ways in settling the 1 numerous lfttle problems which arose, ifi tlib town. One of these • would- be ^reated by the visit of the King • and Queen and Princess Margaret ; Ros.e % next year, when, .i.t ; would be necess.ary to deeide what time or if the shops- would - qlose. Of coufse it.was a little early to take such a step. The association had been formed to give protection to the various businesses in the town, said Mr. Chapman. He considered that the time 'r to' ' raise : the ' qtie'stion of re-naming the association would be-in about twelve months. In discussion with the nightwatchman, 'Mr. P. J'. Kehely, it was learned - that' his > offlcial • duties Were most extensive and that his uriofficial 'bnes" eve'n more so. "I fihd many "little things cropp'ing tfp- Whi'le ;I'm oh the 30b," he said. "Most freqUent request to me is from late visitors to the town ask4ng where.-'1;hey can find a place .to sleep. On Labour weekend I 'had my hands full all the time, but managed to secure board for quite a few." A^ked whether he found time dragghig on'his hands during his night-long vigil, he said that he had to keep moving all the time to get the work done.